The New Year is often a season of reflection and fresh starts. For me, it’s a reminder of just how far I’ve come — and of the organizations and people who made that journey possible. Fort Garry Women’s Resource Centre was one of those places, and without them, my story could have ended very differently.

In my early 20s, I was deeply struggling. I was lost, overwhelmed, and making choices that were slowly unraveling my life. I didn’t have the tools, coping skills, or support system I needed, and eventually I hit a point where I knew I couldn’t keep going the way I was.

That’s when I found Fort Garry Women’s Resource Centre.

FGWRC offered me something I had never truly experienced before: free, accessible counseling — and a safe space where I felt genuinely heard, supported, and respected. I worked with a counselor there for about a year, and that relationship became a turning point in my life. She was real with me. She didn’t judge me. She listened, challenged me when I needed it, and helped me begin rebuilding my sense of self.

Recovery wasn’t instant, and it wasn’t linear. It took years. It was often two steps forward and one step back. But after my time at FGWRC, I never fell as deeply into addiction again. That support helped interrupt a dangerous cycle and gave me the foundation I needed to slowly start getting my life back together.

Years later, I can say with pride that I will be 10 years sober this May.

Last year, I had the honour of MC’ing a charity event for Fort Garry Women’s Resource Centre — and in a moment that still gives me chills, I ran into the very counselor who helped me all those years ago. She was still there. In fact, many of the staff were. You could feel the passion, the shared values, and the deep-rooted team culture the moment you walked into the room.

That kind of authenticity can’t be faked. And as a young woman who once felt helpless and desperate for support, I felt it back then, too.

Today, I’m a business owner, a health and fitness coach, and a single mom raising my daughter full-time. Life is full, challenging, and sometimes chaotic — but it’s mine, and it’s healthy. I’ve built a life grounded in resilience, purpose, and self-respect, and so much of that traces back to the support I received when I needed it most.

Fort Garry Women’s Resource Centre doesn’t just offer programs — they offer hope, dignity, and real human connection. They meet women where they are, often at their most vulnerable, and help them believe that change is possible.

I am living proof of the impact that work can have.

If you support FGWRC — through donations, volunteering, or advocacy — please know that you are changing lives in ways you may never fully see. I am endlessly grateful for the role they played in my journey, and I will carry that gratitude with me always.

Shauna Muldrew, RHNC
Owner of  Infinity Nutrition & Health Coaching
www.winnipeghealthcoaching.com